Fahrenheit 451

Pre-Reading Theme Research

Censorship the suppression of words, images, or ideas that are offensive, happens
whenever some people succeed in imposing their personal, political, or moral values on
others. Censorship can be carried out by the government as well as private pressure
groups. (adapted from the ACLU)



One of the main themes, or main ideas of a literary work, of the novel is censorship (see the
definition above). Select one of the following authors who have experienced censorship in
America. Using a reliable website (NOT WIKIPEDIA) research the author. Take notes on
a loose-leaf sheet of paper, and attempt to answer all of the following questions. We will
use your notes in class on Monday.

AUTHORS (choose one):
Maya Angelou
Harper Lee
J. K. Rowling
Mark Twain
Neil Gaiman

QUESTIONS (in your notes, try to answer all of the following about your selected author):
When did the censorship take place?
What work(s) were involved?
What form did the censorship take? Was it a demand for editorial changes, or as
a book banned from a library or school?
Is the censorship still taking place?
What was done to fight the censorship?
What were the results?